Former NFL running back Todd Gurley appeared on stage with President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Friday in Dalton, Georgia, as the president continues using high-profile athletes to energize voters ahead of midterm elections now just over two weeks away.
Gurley flew to Georgia aboard Air Force One and rode in the presidential motorcade before Trump called him up near the end of his remarks.
“Well, he was the NFL Rookie of the Year. He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns, and was the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career touchdowns. That means he is a good player,” Trump told the crowd.
Gurley, who starred for the University of Georgia Bulldogs before his professional career with the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams and the Atlanta Falcons, opened with a “Go Dawgs!” to the home-state crowd.
“[I] want to thank President Trump today for the experience: being on Air Force One, welcoming me into the White House. Thank you so much. Thank you to the state of Georgia for everything y’all done to me and go Dawgs,” Gurley said.
Gurley is the latest in a string of sports figures the president has brought onto the campaign trail this cycle. Trump has previously appeared with baseball great Roger Clemens in Texas, boxing legend Mike Tyson in New York, former NFL coach John Gruden and boxer-YouTuber Jake Paul in Ohio, and undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather in Arizona.
Trump Pushes Collins, Jackson in Tight Georgia Races
Beyond the Gurley appearance, Trump used the rally to press Georgians to vote for Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins and GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson, who face Democrats Sen. Jon Ossoff and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, respectively.
“It’s time to fire John Ossoff and elect Mike Collins, one of the most respected men in Washington,” Trump said before inviting Collins to speak.
“Listen, this thing, this race is sitting—it’s sitting right here. It’s right here in front of us. Early voting’s already started. All we got to do is reach out and grab this—grab it and hang on,” Collins told the crowd.
Collins urged supporters to vote and bring others with them, and said he would support the SAVE America Act to tighten election security if elected.
Trump also praised Jackson as “a truly great patriot” while sharply criticizing Lance Bottoms.
“She’s an incompetent disaster who eliminated cash bail for vicious criminals, turned Atlanta into a deadly sanctuary city, and if she becomes governor, she will ruin your state,” Trump said.
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